Do you remember being intubated?

My surgery is coming up in a few weeks, and of all the things to be worried about, I find myself fearing awake intubation.

Did any of you see that episode of Big Medicine where the patient endured an awake intubation?  It looked (and sounded) so inhumane. 

So my question is: do you remember being intubated?  At all?

And while I am asking about intubation, do you remember the tube coming out after surgery?  (Can you tell that I have a super sensitive gag reflex?)

I've had surgery twice, though it wasn't WLS, but neither time do I remember being tubed or the tube being removed.  I remember lying on the bed and the annesthesioligist starting the IV...then I woke in recovery.  I've never heard of anyone being awake while being tubed.  I don't think this is anything you should be worried about.  Trust me...you won't feel a thing during surgery. 

Looks like we have the same surgeon only a few days apart?

I was scheduled for 10/23 but the surgeon has to go to a conference so they just bumped me to 11/05.

Do you live in New Orleans?

Awake intubations are rare.  And if you have to get it done awake... from what I hear, people don't remember it at all.  SOME people remain intubated after surgery and then the tubes are removed.  The anesthiologist warned me that it may happen (I cried and pleaded for them to extubate me before I became aware... so he listened to me).  I had the NG tube and the foley (that was torture), but that was it.  The people that have the breathing tube after surgery... they usually have no memory of it or a very foggy memory of it.  Just make sure you go over all your fears with the anesthiologist before surgery!  I am so glad I did.  They were leaning toward leaving in my breathing tube until I awoke fully (since I was a revision).  Oh I was not going to go thru that!  I would have been hysterical! 

I won't meet the anesthesiologist until surgery -- apparently I will have a brief phonecall the day before so I can go over these sorts of fears then.  I do NOT want knowledge of any tubes.

What is an NG tube and foley?  Are these standard to have post-op?

Most people will not meet with the anesthiologist until the day of surgery (in the holding room before going back to surgery).  I met with one for a face-to-face meeting a week before my surgery.  It wasn't even my anesthiologist.  The day of surgery, my anesthiologist had a nurse anesthiologist working for him and he came by to talk with me.  I was bawling when he said I'd likely need to have the breathing tube until I am awake.  I was crying so hard and shaking non-stop.  When the anesthiologist came by, he said he would not leave the tube in me since I have never had a problem with surgery and anesthesia. 

Foley... it is a tube they put up your urethra and into your bladder.  It drains the urine during surgery and some surgeons demand it remain in place for 1+ days.  That for me was torture due to a bladder disease.  My surgeon came by and told me that I will have to get the foley, and for me with a very painful bladder condition, knew it would give me trouble.  I said they have to remove it after surgery, but they didn't.  They insisted on keeping it in for 3 days... and gave me a huge complication.  A bladder infection that landed me in the ER in the worst pain of my life.  Honestly, there is no way to describe that kind of pain. 

NG Tube is a tube that they put in your nose (naso-) and they feed it down to the stomach (-gastric).  So it's name is "nasogastric tube".  My surgeon rarely uses them but since I was a revision and my pouch had to be made smaller than normal, he wanted that NG tube in for 3 days to make sure I don't form a stricture or complete obstruction as I heal.  MOST people don't need the NG tube, but it can't hurt to ask.  They are more common for people that have an obstruction and they have to "suck out" the contents of your stomach/small intestine.  For me, it was to keep things open.  I did have a bowel obstruction at 3 weeks post-op and they put that tube in with me awake.  OMG... talk about torture!  I begged to be sedated but my surgeon's fellow wouldn't do that.  (and he put ANOTHER foley in me and boy did my surgeon chew him out on that... I was fighting him so hard because those tubes are horrific... nightmare... painful, etc). 

So, I hope this helped!  Just make sure you ask lots of questions (to your anesthiologist AND surgeon)!

Why couldn't they sedate you for the ng tube you had 3 weeks after surgery?  That sounds awful -- I am sorry you went through that. 

Yeah... I *****ed and moaned and put up a fight for the NG tube and foley... but I was so sick that after arguing for at least 30 minutes, I caved.  I was told that NG tubes must be placed with scope or fluro.  My surgeon's fellow (he's not the sharpest crayon in the box) said, "I'm a bariatric surgeon so I am qualified to place it".  He placed it in my esophagus, NOT in my pouch!  SOB!  He should have put it in with fluro at least.  He forced it down (rather than gently guiding it in). The next day he tried to reposition it... OMG that was a nightmare too!  NG tubes are not common post-RNY... unless you get an obstruction.  They have to drain the stuff that is causing pain and vomiting.  I knew it had to be done, but the guy doing it was terrible.  He is a fellow, and had been one for 2 months... so he certainly doesn't have experience under his belt.  My surgeon chewed him out (during rounds, he just held his head low and stood in the back of the "fellow pack").  I wish I argued with him more, but when you have been sick like that, you just give up at some point.  I did fight like hell to get the foley removed the second day and I got my way on that one for sure!  My surgeon told all the fellows, "she should never have a foley placed, ever again".  I can't tell you what was worse, the foley (due to my bladder problem) or the NG tube (due to the pain of it as well as my gag reflex).

If you find yourself in the same situation, fight like mad!  Give yourself an anxiety attack (they gave me ativan to try and calm me down, but it didn't work).  I truly needed twilight to calm down.

OMG... then the second day, the fellow forced down contrast down the NG tube and I kept vomiting, yet he kept pusing.  I have never had so many problems with one doctor before!

I don't remember any of it - I was back in my room when I woke up , with no memory of how I got there!

Just before my surgery I talked to the anethisiologist (sp??), and she told me that I would have to be awake before they could remove it, but I would be in a "twilight" stage and probably wouldn't remember it.  At that point, I LOST it - started to cry and got really scared.    I was there by myself, and I think all the stress just hit me at once.

She gave me some meds to help me relax and left me alone to chill-out, but I have to admit, I went into the surgery really scared about that. 

You can understand my ease, when I woke in my room and didn't remember a thing!

I was also worried about the tube that went through my nose and down my throat.  The truth is that it didn't bother me, either.  It felt a little wierd, but I was so out-of-it that first day that I really don't remember much. 

I had never had major surgery before (no kids), so I'm not going to kid you - it was all new to me and it was a hard couple of days not knowing what to expect.  Looking back - it wasn't that bad.  It was a little hard getting in and out of bed (but my situation was complicated by a very bad back), but I really didn't have much pain.  I had some nausa, but they gave me meds for that, too.

IF you have any other questions - ask!!  You'll get honest answers here!

Good Luck!! 

I've never had surgery before (no kids) so this is all new to me.  I want to wake up and not remember!  I thought I would ask around here just to see if some folks do remember...

What is the tube that went through your nose and throat???  No one ever mentioned such a tube to me -- am I going to need one?  Sounds uncomfortable!!!